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The Crunch Breakers
Sunday, December 14, 2008 By Ferdia O’Dowd
Despite the credit crunch, most carmakers are releasing a range of impressive new models.

The motoring industry may be suffering at the hands of the global recession, but that hasn’t stopped manufacturers coming up with a whole range of impressive new models to tempt motorists in the new year.

Alfa Romeo

Lovers of compact sporty cars will welcome the arrival of the eagerly-awaited Alfa Romeo Mito, which goes on sale next month. Its three-door body incorporates the latest Alfa design. Under the bonnet, there is a new range of small and powerful engines, topped off with a 155bhp petrol unit with a capacity of just 1.4 litres.

Audi Q5

The Audi Q5 is primed for success in the mid-size SUV segment. Built on the platform of the most recent A4, its wheelbase - the longest in the segment - ensures plenty of cabin room, helped further by the forward positioning of the engine. The Q5’s refined and punchy entry-level power unit is the 170bhp version of the group’s new 2.0-litre common rail engine. Buyers also have the option of Audi’s latest seven-speed DSG-type transmission, Stronic. The only downside is the lack of space for rear-seat passengers.

BMW

BMW’s new 7 Series is ready to hit forecourts in 2009,when it will also be joined by the new Z4, due to launch next summer. The Z4 will have the same folding metal roof design as the latest 3 Series Cabriolet, but will also come in a soft-top version. Under the bonnet will be some of the latest BMW engines, including - at the top end - the latest bi-turbo, six-cylinder petrol version with 326bhp. For the European market at least, this new generation should also have a diesel option for the first time.

Citroen

Citroen has just won the Semperit Irish Car of the Year with the C5 (see page 6). Its new C3 Picasso, a funky cross between a city car and MPV, will arrive in Ireland next year. Its construction in Tamva, Slovakia, means the C3 will benefit from keen pricing. Its distinctive split panoramic windscreen is 4.08 metres long and 1.78 metres high. Inside, there is plenty of room in the rear, which has a clever sliding seating arrangement.

Ford

The new generation Ford Ka, due to hit forecourts next year, is built on the platform of the Fiat 500. Most of what is hidden under the car’s stylish exterior is from the same source, including a range of clean engines, offering high performance and low emissions.

Overall, the car is pleasant to drive with keen pricing and decent boot-space for a small model. The only downside is an awkward ‘long arm, short leg’ driving position. Also due to launch in 2009 is Ford’s new Fiesta. This uses the underpinnings of the latest Mazda 2 and benefits from a good design that is sure to earn it fans.

Inside the car’s roomy cabin, the interior fit and finish are high-spec, with a good driving position, eye-catching dashboard design and clever storage opt ions. Al l -round comfort is combined with top-class handling, low engine noise and excellent brakes.

Honda

Honda’s new Jazz and Accord models will be rolled out to Irish forecourts early in the New Year, with keen pricing to attract buyers.

Also on the cards before the end of the year is a new Insight hybrid Similar to the Prius in size and design, its propulsion system is like that used in the Civic hybrid.

The new Jazz, meanwhile, is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor with wider opening rear doors and a well-appointed and spacious cabin. The Jazz has two i-VTEC engines promising better performance and lower carbon emissions. These include a 1.2 litre unit with 90bhp, and a 1.4-litre unit with 100bhp, which comes with ESC as standard.

There is also a new six-speed version of the company’s iShift automatic transmission. The new Accord, the seventh update to hit the line-up, is 50mmlonger and 80mmwider than the car it replaces. It is available in both Saloon and Tourer bodies. Its already impressive 2.2 -litre diesel engine has more power and torque, but a lower carbon reading. The car also has new double wishbone front suspension.

Hyundai

Kore an manufacturer Hyundai is gearing up to launch the i20, which will replace the Getz in the Irish market early next year. The i20 is a major improvement over the previous Getz, with a major body overhaul built on a new platform. Measuring 3940mm overall, and with a longer wheelbase, it has more internal space for passengers and luggage.

The engines on offer include 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol units with 77bhp and 99bhp.There is also a 1.4-litre diesel unit with 75bhp, but this only manages a very sluggish 0-100km/ h time of 16.2 seconds. Some markets will also have the option of 1.6 petrol and diesel engines, both with 125bhp.

The range includes a low emission i-blue version, which uses the 90bhp diesel engine, but emits only 99g/km of carbon dioxide. This diesel version has a stop-start system, low resistance tyres and a six-speed instead of five-speed manual gearbox. Its performance is better than the 1.4 CRDi.

Kia

Kia’s Soul model is one of a new breed of tall, boxy crossover vehicles. Surprisingly spacious and very practical, it is a front-wheel drive, five-door hatch with the look of an SUV. With wide doors and high-set seating, the car can accommodate up to five adults in comfort. It comes with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines, with 126bhp, along with a 115bhp version of the diesel.

Land Rover

Land Rover has been working on ways to lower CO2 outputs in response to the new VRT system, which has impacted on sales of 4x4 vehicles. All-new low-carbon models are a few years away yet, but the modified Freelander TD4e, due out next year, is a significant step forward.

TD4-e is fitted with a stop-start system to lower Co2 emissions when driving in traffic. The resulting drop, which brings carbon emissions from 197g/km to 179g/km, lowers the required VRT payments from 28 per cent to 24 per cent - and annual road falls by some 400.

Lexus

The combustion engine u s ed in the new Lexus RX450h, unveiled last month, is a 3.5-litre Atkinson cycle unit. The hybrid system has also been upgraded, allowing the RX to use the electric-only mode more often and over longer distances.

The overall power output rises to 295bhp, some 27bhp more than in the current RX400h. The new RX also comes with a complete cabin overhaul and should benefit from an aggressive new pricing policy from Lexus Ireland, bringing in lower prices across the entire range. In its IS range, meanwhile, Lexus will launch the upgraded IS 220d in January. A new convertible, the IS250C,will hit forecourts later in the year.

Mazda

The brand new Mazda 3 arrives in May, with three and five-door bodies. It will have a full range of engines from1.6 to 2.2-litre, petrol and diesel. There is no 1.4-litre this time round, but the 1.6 litre units have very low carbon emissions, falling under Band A in the new VRT system.

The Mazda 6 will get an impressive new 2.2-litre diesel option in March in three new versions, with a maximum power output of 185bhp. Fans of the sports car have a new MX-5 to look forward to sometime in the Spring.

Mini

Mini’s new generation Convertible, due out next year in Cooper and Cooper S versions, will have the existing model’s canvas roof and a new rear roll-over protection system, which does not impede the view behind nor inhibit the movement of the rear headrests. The luggage space on offer in the new model is slightly better than before. It has 1.6-litre petrol engines with 120bhp or 175bhp. Both are very efficient with carbon figures of only 137g/km or 153g/km. ESC is included as standard, as is air conditioning.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi will trial its electrically powered Mitsubishi i-Miev in the Irish market in 2009. Test drives suggest that the new car will be a capable alternative to traditionally powered cars. Hybrid vehicles are now a familiar sight on our roads and we will see more of them in 2009.With each generation, they become more efficient and emit less pollution.

Nissan

Nissan is bringing in a range of new and improved models in 2009. This year, the company became the first in Ireland to standardise air conditioning and Bluetooth across its entire new car range. Next year will see it add rear parking sensors to many models, including the Micra.

The Nissan Note has a series of changes, including new lights. Even the entry model gets parking sensors and cruise control. Its engines have also been improved, ensuring lower carbon emissions. This brings the 1.4-litre petrol model down from band C to band B, while the 1.5 litre diesel drops to Band A.

The Qashqai range gets a new and very well-equipped LE version, with 2-litre petrol and diesel engines. New for 2009 is the Qashqai +2, a seven-seater version of the standard model. This will have two petrol and two diesel versions, with two or four-wheel drive. It will be available in one specification grade only, which is very well equipped.

Other new models due to arrive in the new year include the GT-R, the 370Z and, right at the other end of the scale, the entry-level Pixo. The new GT-R, the company’s star performer, will go on sale at EP Mooney on the Long Mile Road in Dublin, sometime in the spring. A fast but dependable model, it is powered by a 3.8-litreV6 twin turbo engine, with 480bhp and 582Nmtorque.

Power is transmitted through an all-wheel drive system linked to a rear-mounted six speed dual clutch gearbox. A new 370Z sports model will also hit forecourts in Ireland next Spring. A successor to the 350Z introduced in 2003, it is powered by Nissan’s 3.7-litreV6 with 332bhp.

Buyers can choose from a seven-speed automatic gearbox or a new intelligent six-speed manual gearbox, which will synchronise engine speed to downshifts. Nissan’s new entry-level model, the Pixo, is an Indian-based co-production with Suzuki’s new Alto. Due to arrive in Ireland in the summer, it will have a 3-cylinder petrol engine and seating for four adults.

Porsche

Porsche will introduce its first ever diesel engine in February, under the bonnet of the Cayenne. The engine - a 3.0-litreV6 common rail unit with 240bhp - comes from Audi, in which Porsche now has a major stake.

The Boxster and Cayman will also receive a boost with small-scale improvements to lights, bumpers, wheels and the like, and a new range of engines, including a 3.4-litre flat six engine unit with direct petrol injection.

The entry-level, 2.9-litre alternative will have 255bhp in the Boxster and 10bhp more in the Cayman. In S versions, the 3.4-litre engine will have 310bhp and 320bhp. The cars may have an optional seven-speed DSG-type double clutch gearbox. According to the company, this is more economical than the six-speed manual transmission, ensuring faster acceleration speeds.

A newly overhauled 911 is also due out, with a direct injection petrol engine - a 3.6-litre short stroke unit with twin turbos and intercoolers. It will be fitted to the 911 turbo and the 911GT2, with up to 550bhp.

Renault

The year ahead is an important one for Renault in Ireland, as it plans to launch the brand new Megane here. The newcomer has a distinctive sporty design that tapers away from a high point at the B pillar, narrowing as it goes. This results in a lack of space for rear passengers. To the front, things improve with an impressive dashboard designed by Laguna. On left hand drive cars, the steering wheel is offset.

The boot is bigger than before and there is a spare wheel stored underneath. The Megane comes with a very wide range of diesel and petrol engines, including a new 1.4-litre TCe petrol unit with 130bhp.

Toyota

The Toyota iQ is one of the more interesting models due out in the new year. This brand new addition to the company’s range is just three metres long. It takes up very little road space, fits in the smallest parking slot and has a carbon figure of just 99g/km.

One potential impediment to its popularity with Irish motorists, however, is its price, which is expected to be in the region of €14,000 when it hits forecourts in January. In some markets, the iQ will be sold with a special finance package, which will allow the owner, after the initial contract period, to keep, return or exchange the car. Whether this system will apply in the Irish market has yet to be confirmed.

Everything in the new car, from fuel tank to heater box, has been redesigned and microsized. The result is a spacious interior that benefits from clever layout. Most iQ models sold in Ireland will be powered by the company’s 1-litre engine with 68bhp.

The car is nimble in heavy traffic and on the motorway. It is also extraordinarily easy to park, with a turning circle of just 3.9 metres - the average car takes between 10 and 11 metres.

A new generation of the Toyota Prius should arrive in Ireland in the Summer. It will have a new longer body and, under the bonnet, a spark ignition engine of up to 1.8litres. A substantially revised hybrid system will mean lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions combined with improved performance. The compact system will mean better cabin and boot space too.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser, also due out next year, follows the company’s success with similar models in the Japanese market - and in the US under its Scion brand. The design of the Urban Cruiser hints at the Yaris, on whose platform it is built. Under the hood, it has a brand new 1.33-litre petrol engine, which uses dual VVT-i valve technology to produce 100bhp and 132Nmtorque.

The Urban Cruiser will be one of the first cars to get Toyota’s new stop-start system, which should bring emissions below 130g/km. This new petrol engine will eventually be available in all small Toyota models. There will also be a 1.4-litre D-4D with 90bhp, which is the only version of the Urban Cruiser to have the option of four-wheel drive.

Very important in the Irish context is the new generation of the Toyota Avensis, which has always been a top seller in its segment. Due to arrive here in the Spring, the new Avensis is much more mature, with more than a hint of Lexus about its exterior design. The improvement in quality is also clear in the cabin, where better materials are used. The new model has an improved version of the existing platform and the suspension has been re-engineered completely.

The engines on offer continue much as before, though they are cleaner, with lowered carbon figures. Toyota also has a revised version of the RAV4 on the way. It has a new frontal design, with more modern looks, indicators included in the door mirrors and a redesigned rear. Inside, the dashboard is reworked and there is a new, smaller steering wheel. Models with automatic transmission get extra gear change paddles behind the steering wheel, plus a Sportsmode.

The HiLux will get some upgrades in 2009 as well.

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